By Wyatt Cox
In an age when people scroll endlessly through social media feeds, it’s surprising how many folks right here in Ely have never tuned in to their local radio stations. Many assume that if it doesn’t show up on Facebook, it’s not worth knowing.
That’s not just wrong—it’s dangerous.
Social media may be quick, but it’s shallow. It can’t match the depth, context, or local commitment that radio offers—especially when it comes to accurate news and timely information.
At KELY, we’ve made it our mission to serve the people of White Pine County with reliable coverage of the issues that matter most. Whether it’s city council or county commission decisions, weather emergencies, or state policy updates, we’re there. And while our neighbors at KDSS do an excellent job keeping the community entertained and informed, what we bring to the table is something social media can’t replicate: accountability, consistency, and a direct line to the people.
I didn’t come to this profession overnight. My journey in news started in college radio in Wichita, Kansas, where I learned journalism and the basics of meteorology from the late Jim O’Donnell, KAKE-TV’s longtime chief meteorologist. In the Midwest, you learn quickly that the weather is the news.
That lesson became all too real on June 3, 1980. I was news director at a radio station in Hastings, Nebraska, when a squall line stalled north of us. A warning came across the wire: *“TORNADO WARNING FOR HALL COUNTY”—*home to Grand Island. Then came something I’d never seen: “FORECASTERS ABANDONING FACILITY.” The National Weather Service had to evacuate. I helped get our AM transmitter back on the air to broadcast emergency warnings when other stations went dark. The next day, I was filing reports for AP, UPI, and ABC, even appearing on the air in Los Angeles to describe the devastation.
June 3, 1980 became known as - and adapted into a book and movie titled Night of the Twisters.
That’s what radio does. We show up. We stay on. We keep talking when others can’t.
In 1993, while managing a small Alabama station, I covered another tornado threat—and that led to a role at the People’s Radio Network in Florida, where I anchored coverage of major national stories like the Oklahoma City bombing and the O.J. Simpson trial. Every evening, we delivered a full hour of news, including reports from local affiliates in the heart of the tragedy. That kind of connection—national reach powered by local roots—is something only radio can do.
Fast-forward to October 2024. When Western North Carolina lost internet access completely, the 100-year-old WWNC radio station in Asheville stayed on the air. Its staff literally lived at the station to ensure people had access to the critical information they needed. Radio was the lifeline—and it worked.
Today, at KELY, we bring that same dedication to Ely and White Pine County. We cover local government meetings, report the facts, and offer analysis that respects our listeners’ intelligence. We don't traffic in outrage or viral stunts. We show up, we report, and we care.
Our FM signal, 98.5, launched in 2022 thanks to the FCC’s AM revitalization program, giving Ely residents a clearer way to hear us. That upgrade almost didn’t happen following the untimely passing of our CEO, Fred Weinberg, in 2021. But with a bit of grit and an extension from the FCC, we got it done.
And while I’m proud of what we do at KELY, I tip my hat to Karen Livingston and her team at KDSS. They do tremendous work promoting local events, helping organize parades, and uplifting the community in their own unique way.
Together, we offer something social media never will: true service to our community.
Because when the power goes out, when the internet crashes, or when the news really matters—radio is still there.
And we’re not going anywhere.